Presently, wheels for small vehicles such as garbage cans or carts are difficult to remove and maintain. Typically, wheels are installed in such a way as to be nearly permanent without the use of special tools to remove the wheel. Some wheels use a one way cantilevered catch having a protrusion that is chamfered in the direction of installation and sharp on the direction to pull the wheel off. The chamfer catches in a notch near the end of the axle. To remove such a wheel one would need a screwdriver or other object to pull the catch outward to remove the wheel. The use of cotter pins may also secure a wheel, but again requires a tool to remove the wheel.
Ideally, wheels for small vehicles should be easily installed and removed without tools. This is particularly important for garbage cans. Typically, aside from wheels, garbage cans are shaped so they can be nested within each other. If wheels can be easily removed, the cans could be stacked in a small space, with the wheels being stored in the innermost can. Upon delivery to its final location, the wheels could be installed on the can. Easily changeable wheels would also make maintenance simple. Modern plastic garbage cans are usually tough enough to take many years of abuse. However, protruding wheels are vulnerable to damage or wear as the moving part of the can that supports the weight of the can and its contents. If a wheel becomes damaged throughout the life of a garbage can, the entire can does not have to be replaced. A replacement wheel or wheels, with simple instructions, could be shipped and installed on the garbage can, possibly even by an end user of the garbage can.